Railway-track switch



(No Mudel.) 2 Sheetg-Sheet 1.

C. O. CARLSON. RAILWAY TRACK SWITCH.

Patented Oct. 7, 1890.

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@WVM/Lease@ @dm/mf 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

C. 0. CARLSON. RAILWAY TRAGK SWITCH. No. 437,675. Patented Oct. 7, 1890.

Witwe/osent Carl rZsonf :imm/gc adm/MA1* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL O. CARLSON, OF KANSAS CITY, KANSAS.

RAI LWAY-TRAC K SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 437,675, dated October 7, 1890.

Application filed November 19, 1889. Serial No. 330,838- (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL O. CARLSON, of .Kansas City,Wyandotte county, Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway- Track Switches, of which the following is a, full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accomnying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to improvements in railway-track switches; and it consists in the novel construction and arrangement hereafter fully set forth and described.

The object of my invention is to provide a switch which may be easily operated and brought in position with any number of railway-tracks, five being shown in the accompanying drawings, and toattain these ends with simplicity of construction and economy.

In the drawings, which illustrate the manner of carrying out my invention, Figure l is a perspective view embodying the improvements in my device. Fig. 2 is a detail in perspective of the lever-arm C in connection with upright shaft E. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of said switching device. Fig. 4C is a detail perspective view of the connecting-bar; and Fig. 5 is an inverted detail perspective view of the shoe, which is secured around iiange of rail for operating the same.

Referring to the drawings by letter, A represents my invention; B B, the track secured to ties z" a suitable distance and then connected to bars i, which serve the purpose of keeping said tracks from spreading when being shifted to the desired location.

C is the lever by which the upright shaft E is operated, said lever C being hinged to coupling-lever C', as illustrated in Fig. 2. I) is the top of the upright shaft, to which the Wings d are secured, said wings a. being figured from l to 5, as illustrated in Fig. l.

F is a circular plate secured on top of supporting -frame d, the same being provided with notches b, in which the lever C is secured when brought to the desired position.

Cr is a drum rigidly secured to lower end of shaft E, around which the chains H and Il are secured, the said shaft being held in place by means of a cap p, which also permits of the said shaft being removed, if desired.

, I is the pulley secured to one of the ties between rails B B in a suitable boxing h.

Around said pulley I operate chains I-I H for the purpose of shifting tracks B B in any desired position, as illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 3.

a are the wings or arms secured on top of shaft E, the same having figures 1 to 5 printed thereon. These arms or wings a are for the purpose of informing the engineer upon which track the locomotive will run. For instance, in position shown in Fig. l, the train would run off on track 3, and the arm with the figure 3 painted thereon is pointed directly across said track. If it is shoved downward to track 2,the arm with ligure printed thereon will point across the track, and so on with all the different branches.

I can use my switching device in connection with any number of tracks or as many as can be reached by bending the switchingtrack B B.

h are notches in circular plate F, heretofore referred to.

d are the upright sides of the standard, which forms the support for shaft E, drum G, circular plate F, and arms or wings a.

e is a platform or flooring built over the chains H I-I', and serves to protect them from injury, dmc., and at the same time hides them from view. This platform may be built in any suitable manner to cover said switching device. l, 2, 3, 4, and 5 represent the branches of tracks with which my switching device comes in coincidence.

h is the journal-box, in which is properly secured pulley I, as heretofore described.

t' are shoes or bars made to fit around the flanges of rails -B B and serve to keep said rails from spreading when being shoved backward and forward, as described.

L is the shoe which fits over the iiange of the rail, and is provided with lugs m, in which are secured the hooks m m, these in turn being secured to chains l-I H', and are for the purpose of moving the track back and forth when desired.

O is the beveled end of lever C, made in such manner that the lever can only be raised to a horizontal position, said lever C being provided with perforations, in which operates a bolt C. Said bolt O is for the purpose of holding said lever C in position when secured in notches b. The tie to which journal-box h IOO is secured is made of sucient length to fit snugly against base of frame d. This serves to keep chains H H in proper tension. Said chains H H are designed to operate on a perfect level with tie to which pulley I is secured, the pulley I and boxing 7l to be boxed around in such a manner as to exclude all dirt,&c.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as being new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. ,A railway-track-switching device consisting of movable track-rails, bars connecting the saine, a shoe on one of the rails, a pulley, a drum, chains connecting With the shoe and passing around the pulley and drum, a supporting-frame carrying a shaft, on which is I nonnted the drum, arms carried'by the shaft, a notched .plate carried by the supporting-frame, and a lever adapted to operate the shaft and to engage the notches in the plate. 2. A switching device provided with movable rails B B and held together by bars z', operated by chains H and H', which Work, in combination with pulley I, the drum G, said chains H and H being secured to shoe L, Which is secured to the flange of rail B, these, together with the upright shaft E, circular plate F, levers C and C', and arms a, forming a complete switching device, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

CARL O. CARLSON. Vitnesses:

J. E. I-IIGDoN, R.. A. BALDERsoN. 

